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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24287749">We gonna need catnip</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/1337wtfomgbby/pseuds/1337wtfomgbby'>1337wtfomgbby</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cats being cats, Clones being clones, F/M, M/M, clones being turned into cats, no beta we die like men</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:34:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,769</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24287749</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/1337wtfomgbby/pseuds/1337wtfomgbby</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>„What in the?-“<br/>Rex frowned as he looked down at the two cats standing amidst an ocean of armor plates and bodysuits, Kix and Hardcase themselves were nowhere to be seen.</p><p>One of the cats, a jet black one with piercing yellow eyes, sat on top of a rock as if it was ruling a kingdom from up there.<br/>The other, a grey tabby with green eyes, was brushing around Rex' legs.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555/CT-5597 | Jesse, CT-7567 | Rex/Ahsoka Tano, Hardcase/CT-6116 | Kix, Resol (OC)/Neck (OC)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>72</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was supposed to be a one shot, ending with Rex waking up as it all was a dream.<br/>But I had time on my hands, and motivation, and two months worth of time, so here we are.</p><p>I was also inspired by this pic on pinterest: https://www.pinterest.de/pin/512354895112146563/<br/>They just reminded me of Kix and Hardcase.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>„What in the?-“<br/>Rex frowned as he looked down at the two cats standing amidst an ocean of armor plates and bodysuits, Kix and Hardcase themselves were nowhere to be seen.</p><p>One of the cats, a jet black one with piercing yellow eyes, sat on top of a rock as if it was ruling a kingdom from up there. <br/>The other, a grey tabby with green eyes, was brushing around Rex' legs.<br/>Before he knew it the grey cat had started to climb up his leg and soon he was left with a cat perched on his shoulder.</p><p>„Naw, look at you!“<br/>Rex couldn't help the sigh that left him, Ahsoka and her love for cats.<br/>„You wouldn't happen to know where Hardcase and Kix are?“ he asked and to both their surprises the black cat meowed as if in response.</p><p>Ahsoka stopped stroking the grey cats head and took a closer look at the feline. <br/>„Hardcase?!“ she asked and the grey cat meowed as well, jumping off Rex' shoulder.<br/>Contrary to his human form Hardcase landed on his feet -paws- just as a cat should.<br/>The black cat jumped down from the rock to join the grey one, who instantly butted their heads together.</p><p>Rex closed his eyes, as if that would get rid of their evident problem. <br/>But when he opened them again, there were still two cats sitting in front of them.<br/>„Come here,“ he sighed, bending down to pick up the grey cat, while Ahsoka took the black one.<br/>„As if we didn't have enough problems,“ he grumbled.</p><p>Hardcase, true to his human self, leaned up his head to nudge it against Rex' shoulder.<br/>„It could be worse,“ Ahsoka said. <br/>She seemed to not mind the situation that much at all as she scratched Kix behind his ears. <br/>„They could be Massiffs.“ She shuddered as she thought about that.<br/>Rex could only roll his eyes as they made their way out of the cave.</p><p>„Where'd you get cats, captain?“ Jesse asked as soon as he layed eyes on them.<br/>„That's your batch mate,“ Rex grumbled, thrusting the grey cat into Jesse's arms, „Enjoy!“<br/>„Wait what?“ Jesse stuttered, as he took over the cat. <br/>„Hardcase?“ he asked and the cat meowed again. „And that?“ he asked, looking over at Ahsoka who was playfully rocking the black cat in her arms like a baby.<br/>„Kix,“ Rex grumbled. </p><p>„Don't,“ he hissed, „ask me how. I have no freking clue.“ <br/>And with that being said he was off towards General Kenobi and Skywalker to, most likely, ask for help.<br/>Jesse, meanwhile, exchanged a look with Ahsoka. „Well,“ he shrugged. „They do seem kinda cute.“<br/>„Don't they,“ Ahsoka agreed with a broad smile. <br/>Jesse sighed and started to scratch Hardcase's head as his batch mate was impatiently butting his head up against his chin.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Turned out Anakin and Obi-Wan were just as mystified by two of their trooper suddenly turning into cats as everyone else.<br/>„Do you think they're okay?“ Jesse asked Resol, only for the medic to respond exasperated, „How the kriff would I know, Jesse? I'm a medic, not a veterinarian!“<br/>„It doesn't seem like they're hurt,“ Anakin observed as he was holding Kix. </p>
<p>Which the black cat didn't seem particularly happy about, even though the jedi was scratching his head, Kix still tried climbing out of his arms. <br/>Hardcase, who was buisy chasing the light Fives reflected off his helmet visor, didn't seem bothered with the situation in the slightest.</p>
<p>„What are we gonne do with them, general?“ Rex asked, rubbing his forehead at the silliness of the ARC-trooper.<br/>Obi-Wan looked thoroughly at his wits end. „Keep them close until we can figure out what happened and how to reverse it,“ he said with a shrug.</p>
<p>Kix made a grumbeling sound, apparently not happy with what he heard at all. <br/>Jesse mumbled some comforting words as Anakin handed the black cat over to him, while Fives took up Hardcase. <br/>And after some debating about the logistics and it being humane, they settled on just putting the two cats into Kix' backpack, so they could move on with their mission.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Some hours, fighting and frustration later Resol opened the backpack to be greated by two spitting furious cats. <br/>Even Hardcase seemed not too happy about their ordeal in the backpack.<br/>„Oh, We gonna need some catnip,“ Resol mumbled, while desperately trying to give the cats nothing to claw at or bite on.<br/>„Naw, someone is not happy about that,“ Tup cooed, extending his hand toward Kix, not caring if the cat scratched him or bit him. </p>
<p>Before long, he had pushed Kix over onto his side and started scratching the black cats belly. <br/>At first Kix look thoroughly confused, then he started to purr and before long he flopped down fully onto his back to give Tup more space to scratch.<br/>„Ah Hardcase,“ Tup chuckled as the grey cat pushed his head against his arm, wanting to be petted too. Finally Resol relented with a sigh, scooped the grey cat up and started rubbing his belly.<br/>That left them with two thankfully content and purring cats. </p>
<p>The content didn't last for long, however. <br/>General Kenobi wanted the two checked over, even had a vet brought in for that, and Kix wasn't having any of it. <br/>He was a growling, hissing, clawing and biting, spitting furious mess. <br/>In the end Obi-Wan even had to help the vet to hold the cat down, so the doctor could check him over without getting bitten or scratched.</p>
<p>Hardcase on the other hand was perfectly cooperative and even seemed to enjoy the whole experience.<br/>„Your medic is a damn handful,“ Obi-Wan huffed as they were finally finished.<br/>Rex chuckled breathlessly, because that was so true. <br/>Kix, on the stretcher, was still sulking, at least until Hardcase sat down next to him and started grooming the black cats fur, which turned Kix back into a perfectly calm, docile and purring cat.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next day they still had no idea why the two turned into cats and what caused it. <br/>Even worse, apparently they now had two cats more, since Jesse and Fives couldn't be found, but there was a ginger tabby and solidly light grey one.<br/>„Just what did I do to deserve this?“ Rex huffed.</p>
<p>Hardcase meowed excitedly at the two new play mates, until the ginger cat, which seemed to be Jesse, layed his paw over his tiny mouth.<br/>Kix meanwhile eyed the light grey cat suspiciously. <br/>He didn't seem to like the fact that Fives was so much bigger then him, or was it just his puffy fur. Kix slunked back, humping his back and hissing at the bigger cat, but Fives wasn't having any of that. </p>
<p>He pounced on the black cat and before long they were rolling around trying to pin each other to the floor. <br/>In the end Fives came up on top and Kix begrudgingly let the bigger cat groom his fur.<br/>„How's that even possible?“ Anakin asked no one in particular, since no one understood it either.<br/>Fives and Jesse hadn't been the first to come into contact with Hardcase and Kix, but Rex and Ahsoka had.<br/>„Maybe it'll just take longer to happen to you, Sir,“ Tup wondered and Rex didn't like that one bit.<br/>At least should it turn out to be true.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Which sadly it did.<br/>Next thing he knew, as he woke up the next morning, was him feeling fundamentally different.<br/>Everything smelled stronger, everything was bigger and everything looked strange.<br/>He didn't understand the humans anymore but therefore now understood the cats perfectly fine.<br/>Hardcase laughed himself silly, Fives hummed that it served him right, Ahsoka, who didn't seem able to figure out how to put one paw in front of the other, stumbled over the floor and against Jesse's side.</p>
<p>She was a ginger cat with cream stripes running from her spine to her belly.<br/>Rex looked at his own paws and was greated with light cream furr and a tail that was just way too bushy. <br/>He wasn't as bushy as Fives but definately more so then the rest of them.<br/>Hardcase did some strange kitty chuckle as he nudged Rex' tail with his paw.<br/>Rex hissed annoyed, and hit Hardcase with his paw in turn, which put the grey tabby back on dist.</p>
<p>Ahsoka, by now, had finally figured out how to move her new body and sat there, with an expression as if she wanted to say 'really?!'. <br/>Kix wasn't happy with what he did either as he hissed at him, and Rex just felt so at his wits end. <br/>He didn't understand the humans anymore but also didn't quite understand the cats either apparently.</p>
<p>Jesse sighed to not mind them, Kix was just being overly protective.<br/>Now that he said it their behaviour did make a lot more sense. <br/>How Hardcase would constantly bump his head against Kix', how they always stuck together and how they always groomed each other.<br/>His cat brain told him those were all signs of their closenes.<br/>„Alright, I'm sorry. Relax,“ Rex sighed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>By the next day the others had apparently thought about quarantining them.<br/>So they had been put into a room Rex recognized to be accomodation for officers. <br/>„So there is a connection about coming into contact with them,“ Rex wondered out loud, looking at Kix and Hardcase, „and getting turned into cats ourselfes.“</p>
<p>„What I don't get,“ Fives meowed, scratching at his ear, „is in which order we got turned. I mean you two touched them first.“<br/>„Don't talk about us like we aren't even there,“ Kix grumbled, „Ta least I can finally thank you for this damn bell.“<br/>He pawed at a collar around his neck, which also dangled a little bell. <br/>Out of all the cats Kix was literally the only one to have one, and only because he had kept slinking off on them.</p>
<p>„I don't know, maybe the order doesn't matter,“ Ahsoka interjected, „Maybe the length of exposure is the decisive factor.“<br/>Which would make sense, since Jesse and Fives had spend decidedly more time with the cats. <br/>Next in line would be herself and Rex, maybe Tup, Dogma and Resol. <br/>Then she remembered Master Kenobi and Skyguy had also been exposed to Hardcase and Kix.<br/>Ahsoka had to suppress a chuckle thinking about her Master being a cat. <br/>„Let's just hope they'll figure out how to reverse this quickly,“ Rex said, sensing her unease.</p>
<p>A few hours later, which they spend mostly asleep (curse these lazy cat bodies), the door to the room opened. <br/>In came a medic holding some bowls of food and, no please, three more cats.<br/>„Kix,“ Spina hissed and, miraculously, Kix reacted like a Massiff obeying a command.<br/>Rex didn't understand the rest he said but Kix seemed to get the gist of it as he nodded in affirmation. </p>
<p>Spina set down the bowls of cat food as well as the cats and left the room.<br/>„Are Master Skywalker and Kenobi cats as well?“ Ahsoka asked, before even asking who the newcomers were.<br/>The fully grown black one, with white paws answered. <br/>„They are. They are keeping them away from us.“</p>
<p>„Any word of a cure?“ Kix asked.<br/>The black cat shook his head again. „Not that I know of. Last I heard was that they talked to the locals about that cave you were in.“</p>
<p>The way the black cat looked at Kix with his green eyes, sparked a realization in Rex. <br/>„Resol?“ he asked, and as the black cat nodded he turned to the others. „Then those have to be Tup and Dogma.“<br/>The small ginger one nodded. <br/>They were so small in fact they didn't even seemed fully grown. </p>
<p>„Those bodies are a chore to walk around in,“ the bi-coloured one of them groused. <br/>He was mostly white with random spots of black.<br/>Tup rolled his eyes. „I find them to be more flexible,“ he purred, „maybe if you would just embrace it, Dogma.“<br/>Dogma grumbled something inaudiable under his breath before he layed down sulkily where he was standing.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ahsoka decided it would likely serve them all to gather all they had experianced, as cats and shortly before.<br/>
Turned out Hardcase remembered touching some carvings on the walls of the cave and Kix remembered seeing a flash of light.<br/>
Jesse and Fives didn't see anything as they changed, as they had slept through the change, just as Rex and herself.<br/>
Tup confirmed this for himself, while Dogma reported seeing strange catlike figures in his sleep for days, and Resol turned in the infirmary shortly before his shift change.</p><p>„So, it seems to have something to do with those caves you were in,“ Dogma noted, looking at Hardcase and Kix accusingly.<br/>
„Then lets just hope their talks with the locals will yield some results,“ Resol grumbled.<br/>
He had layed down on one of the pillows that lay strewn accross the room.<br/>
Dogma grumbled. „So, you just wanne lay around and do nothing?!“ he gasped indignant. </p><p>„What am I supposed to do,“ Resol yawned, „As far as I can see I can do nothing, since I'm a cat!“<br/>
Dogma looked around the room for some support but all of them seemed to have decided to take Resol's approach to things.<br/>
Jesse and Fives had curled themselfes up next to the bed, Fives laying against Jesse's back.<br/>
Ahsoka had layed herself under the heater, as it was warmer, and Rex layed close, but still a few paces off to the side so to not seem conspicuous.<br/>
While Hardcase and Kix had taken the literal highground, as they had taken the bed, and Tup as well.</p><p>Dogma wrinkled his nose in disgust as he watched Tup lay snuggled up to Hardcase, who looked way too smugg at having found himself a kitten.<br/>
The grey tabby purred deep in his chest as he groomed the small ginger kitten and licked in between his ears. </p><p>But after standing there defiantly for some time Dogma realized none of them would move any time soon.<br/>
So he sat down and just stared at them, trying to will some movement into the other cats.<br/>
But to no avail.</p><p> </p><p>It had to've been some time later as Dogma startled awake.<br/>
The lights of the room seemed dimmer and a quick glanced to the chrono revealed it to be after lights out.<br/>
Just as he wondered what had awoken him he felt himself shiver in the cold of the room.<br/>
But there was also warmth, warmth as if from another body.<br/>
Then he felt himself being grabbed by teeth and lifted by the scruff of his neck. </p><p>Hissed protests and flailing paws only earned him a grumbled order to, „stop it“.<br/>
Insulted he stopped his movement and just hung there, as whoever had grabbed him moved about the room. </p><p>As soon as the whoever climbed up the heater and jumped from the nightstand onto the bed, it became clear who had grabbed him.<br/>
„What is the meaning of this, Kix?!“ he hissed as the medic plopped him down onto the mattress, where he landed in front of Hardcase. </p><p>„You were shivering,“ the black cat said curtly.<br/>
Hardcase's ears twitched and he blinked his eyes open as soon as he heard Kix' hushed voice.<br/>
The grey tabby had layed a paw around the small ginger Tup kitten, that still slept curled up against the grey cats belly.<br/>
Now Hardcase raised just this paw to pull Dogma closer.<br/>
He was so surprised he couldn't even react as he was gathered against the grey cats warm fur.</p><p>Dogma, now high up on the bed, got a good look of the room.<br/>
Resol had wound up closer to the bed, his head layed against a pillow and Jesse's head layed onto his back.<br/>
Rex had also wound up closer to commander Tano, and under the heater in the process. </p><p>He was now curled up into a tight, fluffy ball, while Ahsoka was laying long and stretched around the bow of his back.<br/>
Those sleeping arrangements had left Dogma all by himself in a cold corner.<br/>
Now he realized that Kix' actions were not entirely without empathy.</p><p>Dogma got startled out of his thoughts, as Kix' body blocked his view of the room when he layed down before him in a long arch.<br/>
Hardcase purred deep in his chest, seemingly beckoning Kix closer. </p><p>Dogma watched from below as the black cat allowed the grey one to lick his head, eyes gleaming with something Dogma didn't quite understand but which made a warm feeling settle in his stomach.<br/>
He felt not unlike a real kitten, laying in between his parents.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The morning came in form of something jumping on top of him and starteling him awake.<br/>„Krif, are you trying to kill me,“ Dogma cursed, heart racing.<br/>Tup, who had jumped on top of him, only chuckled.<br/>Dogma grumbled under his breath and shook his head as he forced his eyes to focus.</p>
<p>Then his body got shoved again and Dogma hissed angrily as Hardcase started to groom his fur. <br/>But the grey cat didn't react to his sour mood, as he just rumbled a chuckle deep in his chest and pinned his body down with his paw.</p>
<p>Dogma continued to grumble under his breath, but he still relaxed his body and was therefore soon drifting in and out of awareness again.<br/>Out of the corner of his eyes he observed Tup, as the other kitten jumbed all over Kix body, trying to rose the medic from his slumber. <br/>Kix growled, so Tup decided to shift his attention to the other cats instead.</p>
<p>Hardcase made a muffled sounding 'meow' that managed to have Kix lift his head, and watch as Tup jumped off the bed, only to land straight on top of Fives who gave a indignated squeak.</p>
<p>Jesse and Resol startled awake as well and watched in confusion as Fives chased after the small kitten. <br/>His chase was cut short however, by Kix who jumped down from the bed to land in between them. Which forced Fives into a hard stop to avoid crashing into the black cat.</p>
<p>„Can't even let us sleep in,“ Kix grumbled as he grabbed Tup by the scruff of his neck and jumped back up onto the bed. <br/>Fives let out a last, final grumble as if to say 'serves you right', then he slunked back to where Jesse and Resol had fallen back asleep again in the mean time.</p>
<p>„Why do you all have to be such giant sleepyheads?“ Tup grumbled as Kix dropped him back onto the mattress and immediately layed back down himself.<br/>„Hardcase,“ Tup whined. <br/>But even the normaly energetic jester seemed more then fine with just laying around lazily.<br/>Tup grumbled as Dogma seemed to smirk at him and turned his head to look over the other side of the mattress.</p>
<p>A strange feeling settled into his stomach as he saw the big fluffball that was the captain groom the ginger tabby that was commander tano. <br/>He also meant to hear one, or both, of them purr.<br/>Tup shuddered even thinking about it. </p>
<p>It was a open secret that the two were more then close, but it didn't mean that Tup wanted to be privy to it all. <br/>He turned back around in time to watch Hardcase do the same with Kix and rolled his eyes.<br/><i>Lovesick cats everywhere</i>, he thought.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next days they spend in this room, trying to somehow busy themselves.<br/>Each day more cats got added to their group, to the point where they were moved into one of the bigger storage rooms. <br/>And around the time a big ginger cat joined them, that turned out to be Cody, they all realized that this was getting way out of hand.</p>
<p>„Why do you always have to touch everything?!“ Dogma grumbled, flopping down on his front and meowing in annoyance as the doors opened again to add even more cats. <br/>Hardcase grumbled under his breath, he had long since stopped being annoyed at everyone blaming him. <br/>Overall, he also didn't seem to mind the situation all too much either.</p>
<p>And why would he, Dogma snorted, after all it was the perfect excuse to be all over Kix. <br/>Just as it was the perfect excuse for Rex and Ahsoka to constantly be way too close to each other.<br/>Well, now their cosy togetherness hab been invaded by Cody, but both didn't seem to mind him at all.</p>
<p>However, around the time they were joined by a cat that turned out to be Panther, they all realized that the situation had reached catastrophic proportions.<br/>They had enough missions with the 212th to explain why the situation was also affecting them, however the last mission they had with the 7th heavy armory „ghost division“ had been over a year ago, if Rex remembered correctly.</p>
<p>Resol didn't seem to mind too much, as he circled a dark brown, blotched tabby with green eyes.<br/>And as soon as those two started preening each other, Kix was all over them, as they all come to know that he wasn't a big fan of Resol's buddy, Neck.<br/>Hardcase seemed to realize that Resol was only seconds away from loosing his calm, as he was humping his back and hissing at Kix, and so decided to intervene before anything could escalate and pulled Kix away from them by the scruff of his neck.</p>
<p>„How in all hells has this reached you!?“ Rex asked in utter shock, as he watched Panther scratch at his wiskers.<br/>Apparently the commander hadn't gotten quite used to having them jet.<br/>„You know, I would love to know that too,“ Panther grumbled, though he had such a fixed gaze on Resol and Neck, that Rex suspected those two would be to blame for why this had reached ghost.</p>
<p>„They have to turn us back,“ Cody said, his tail thrashing in open irritation, „This must be affecting the higher ups too.“<br/>Panther suddenly made a sound as if he was throwing up, but turned out he was just laughing.<br/>„Yeah. I got the pleasure of seeing master yoda as a cat,“ he managed to get out as he had managed to calm himself enough to speak normally.</p>
<p>„Master yoda,“ Ahsoka repeated, a chuckle bubbeling in her chest, „How does he look?“<br/>„Small,“ Panther chuckled, „green. And he has big ears.“<br/>He reached up a paw and held them a good deal above his own ears.<br/>That made even Rex stiffle a chuckle.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The 7th heave armory "ghost division" is part of the big Alekto fic I am still working on, and Panther and Neck are both part of it.<br/>The unit was essentially inspired by the Wehrmachts "ghost division".</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It took them almost another month, and about two divisions worth of more cats for the higher ups to finally figure out how to reverse this.<br/>They were all to be taken, in groups of tens, into those caves where Rex had first found Hardcase and Kix. </p>
<p>Then a strange rituall was held.<br/>It involved them being dunked into a wooden tub full of strangely sweet smelling water, while some local priests in strange garbs danced around them and sung incantations.<br/>„And all of this because you can't keep your hands to yourself,“ Rex cursed.<br/>He was finally back to normal, but also starkly naked in this damn caves.</p>
<p>„You won't be touching any more carvings in caves anymore,“ he said, pointing at Hardcase threateningly, before taking a towel one of the priests was handing out. <br/>„Come on,“ Ahsoka hummed, she had thankfully already overed up, „it wasn't all bad, was it?“<br/>Rex only grumbled in reply, even though her hand on his arm did manage to soothe his irritation.</p>
<p>Also, the fact that they were the first group to be turned back, helped a great deal.<br/>Since the priest explained, they needed to start with the very first people that had been changed for it to work fully.<br/>They also needed to do the ritual in order of the people that were turned next, and that precisely. <br/>That was also why it had taken them so long, they needed to be meticulous with the order, to the second it seemed. <br/>„Okay okay, I won't be touching any carvings anymore,“ Hardcase promised once he heard that.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>„You know, I do actually miss being a cat,“ Dogma admitted that night at dinner.<br/>„Yeah,“ Tup agreed, „You could do so much more with those bodys.“<br/>„Not what I mean,“ Dogma mumbled and after Tup raised his brows at him, silently asking him to explain, he mumbled some more. <br/>„What,“ Tup chuckled, „Cat's got your tongue.“</p>
<p>„I miss being cuddled,“ Dogma hissed, quietly so Tup would be the only one hearing him.<br/>Tup took a moment for those words to register, then his face split with the width of the shit-eating grin he sprouted. <br/>„Aw, you miss your mommy and daddy?“<br/>Dogma growled, pushing back from the table to get to his feet, „You know what, I already regret telling you that.“</p>
<p>„Dogma,“ Tup whined, running to catch up with his friend. <br/>„I'm just surprised you'd be admitting that. You were sleeping so close to Hardcase towards the end of it,“ he explained as Dogma looked at him questioning.<br/>Which turned into Dogma flushing brightly red, and spluttering for a retort that Tup wasn't giving him enough time to find. </p>
<p>„Come on,“ he said, and grabbed Dogma by the wrist, pulling him along. <br/>„What- Where are we going?“ Dogma whined, trying to break free of Tup's grip, but his brother refused to be shaken off. <br/>Dogma reminded him more and more of his cat-self as he was whining and thrashing all the way to the barracks, and only stopped once he realized where Tup had taken him. <br/>„What the krif, Tup,“ Dogma hissed, looking down at where Kix was layed down with his head on Hardcase stomach. </p>
<p>„What's going on?“ Kix asked, looking up from the pad he was holding, „You need help with something?“<br/>„As a matter of fact,“ Tup grinned, and jumped out of his reach just in time as Dogma made to punch him in the shoulder, „Dogma is missing his parents,“ he laughed.<br/>Kix raised a brow at that and Dogma flushed an entirely new shade of crimson. </p>
<p>„You too?“ Hardcase asked, rasing his upper body a bit to have a better look at them.<br/>„What do you mean 'you too'?“ Tup asked, between his bursts of laughter.<br/>Kix pointed behind them and that was when they noticed the various groups of trooper being cuddled up together. <br/>All of them had been hanging around closely in cat-form as well. </p>
<p>Jesse and Fives, for example, who were laying a few bunks over in a big joint of body's with Resol and Neck.<br/>Or commander Tano, of all people, that was laying against Rex' back, while Cody had taken the captains front. </p>
<p>„Oh,“ Tup said, realizing that his amusement at Dogma's expense had been a bit unfounded. <br/>„So, is it okay, if I-“ Dogma trailed off, eyeing Hardcase and Kix hopefully.<br/>„Suite yourself,“ Hardcase shrugged.<br/>Tup watched as Kix shuffled around to make some space for Dogma, and before long Hardcase was spooning Dogma, while Kix was sat back against Hardcase back, still reading. </p>
<p>„Ah, to hell with it,“ Tup decided, throwing his pride out the window before he layed down next to Kix and rested his head in his lap.<br/>„I ain't singing you sleep, though,“ Kix said, though he did start carding his fingers through his hair.</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Outtakes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Just three snippets that I wrote but didn't end up using.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>1) „Would you stop moving!“ Rex growled, wrestling the black cat to get the collar on the feline. <br/>Kix was going wherever he damn pleased, sometimes they couldn't even find him.<br/>„There!“ Rex growled, shutting the collar and immediately letting Kix go.<br/>The black cat rolled all over the floor, trying to cislodge the collar that was climpering all the way.<br/>„At least now we'll know where you are.“</p>
<p>Of course, five minutes later, he would find Jesse and Fives amusing themselves with ringing the little bell on the colllar.<br/>While Kix cuntinued to push their hands away.</p>
<p>2) „What is it now?“ Ahsoka sighed.<br/>Rex held Fives up to her eyelevel, eye twitching with the amount of restrain he must be putting into not throtteling the feline.<br/>„This precious little animal just did THAT!“<br/>He pointed at the ground and as Ahsoka looked she saw the horror.<br/>„DECAPITATED A SQUIRREL!“</p>
<p>3) Well one thing sure as hells was good about this situation...<br/>„Hardcase no!“ Jesse screamed.<br/>„You'll get yourself killed. Are you insane!“ Fives yelled.<br/>But as Hardcase tobbled off the overpass he landed on his paws.<br/>Just like a cat should.</p>
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